Bruce Kluckhohn/US PresswireGiants coach Tom Coughlin addressed plenty of topics during his sessions with the media Friday at the NFL scouting combine.
INDIANAPOLIS - We've given you Tom Coughlin's thoughts on Osi Umenyiora as well as Mike Sullivan and Antonio Pierce. But there were lots more topics he addressed, and he was quite candid in doing so.

Here's a rundown of Coughlin's thoughts from his press conference and a separate session with reporters in the concourse at Lucas Oil Stadium:

On the defensive coordinator change and why it was made: “I expect us to return to being the kind of defensive football team the New York Giants have always been. … Bill Sheridan was there during the Super Bowl year and did an outstanding job for us. It just didn’t work (last season). We were not a very good football team last year on defense, we had our issues -- not all coaching, not all coaching. We all share the blame, starting with me. But the simple fact of the matter is I felt we needed to make a change and we did. I wish Bill well in his new job with the Miami Dolphins.”

On new coordinator Perry Fewell: “Perry Fewell is a young man I brought into the National Football League when we were in Jacksonville. I followed his career very closely. He worked as the defensive coordinator for a very good friend of mine and our first coordinator in Jacksonville, Dick Jauron. Dick has great things to say about Perry. Perry’s a dynamic, energetic, passionate young guy and I think that’s something we need right now. We’re looking forward to the kind of leadership Perry can bring and the way he will work with our players and the kind of energy he brings to the task.”

On S Kenny Phillips’ knee: “Well, we have to go step-by-step here and he’s in the early stages of coming back from a serious issue. Everyone is very positive and upbeat. All of the reports have been good and that’s basically what we have to go on. But until he puts it to the test, of course, the questions are going to be there. I don’t think I’m out of place by saying he was having an outstanding preseason, an outstanding first couple of games into the season. His return to our football team as the quality young player he was developing into is very important. He would be a great addition and a great ingredient as a part of our team, but there are other things we have to put together as well.”

On expectations for WR Hakeem Nicks: “Hakeem was in the other day as well. And we expect he does nothing but continue to get better. That group of young receivers played well for us this year. I don’t know if the word ‘surprise’ is (appropriate), but that was the group coming in that had the most questions and I think they contributed very productively. Eli (Manning) had an outstanding year, as you know, and the play of that young receiver corps, with regard to their communication with Eli and the way he worked with them, the job that (offensive coordinator) Kevin Gilbride, (former QB coach) Chris Palmer and (former WR coach) Mike Sullivan were able to do, those guys came along fast and I expect them to continue to. When you look at Hakeem, Hakeem’s a football player who’s hungry to improve and to be better. He’s a guy we see doing outstanding things. No matter what you challenge him with, he seems to be able to come through and to accept the challenge and to do better and improve. People said he wasn’t a homerun hitter. Well, people chase him down the field and he gets it in the end zone. That’s the only thing I can comment or equate it to.”

On whether he thinks his RBs can get through a full season: “There’s great concern from the standpoint of the surgical procedures that have been done. Again, everything is stated to us as being on schedule. I think you go all the way back to Andre Brown, he’s on schedule, too. Hopefully, they’re going to be (healthy); they’re going to have to be. Danny Ware’s improvement is going to have to be as well.”

On his confidence in the middle LBs currently on the roster and whether there are others besides Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn who will compete for the job: “There are, but let’s just stay with (Blackburn and Goff). You know Chase (is) the guy who gives you everything he’s got. He’s always been, from a reputation standpoint, outstanding as a special teamer. He’s played well in roles when we’ve asked him to step into that job. He was disappointed when Jon Goff got an opportunity to play last year. Jon had some good games and some games that weren’t quite as good, which a young player is prone to do. We just think improvement has got to come.”

On Brandon Jacobs’ saying he should have had surgery sooner last season: “That’s up to the medical people. Brandon was able to get back and play the majority of the season, let’s put it that way. There were some weeks he was not able to practice as much as you’d like him to practice. But he gutted it out and did the best he could with it, and the expectations following his procedure are he’ll return to full speed.”

On Vikings coach Brad Childress’ saying he’d call Coughlin to ask about helping with Adrian Peterson’s fumbling issues: (smiles) “I can’t give away those secrets. … High and tight, that’s how you do it. These things are logged away. It’s under lock and key.”

On whether he’s heard from P Jeff Feagles about coming back: “You know what? I haven’t talked to Jeff but fully expecting he is. If it was going to be any other way, it probably would have been in.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: We reported in January someone who had spoken with Feagles said he intended to return.)

On LB Clint Sintim and what he needs to do: “He is a very talented young player and we are going to have to see that on a game-by-game basis this year. I think that he has come a long way, he really has. This year has been very good to him and very important to his development. He knows more about the pro game and what is expected out of him and the physical aspect of the game that we expect him to be -- and that’s his game -- and also taking full advantage of him as a pass rusher. His progress is real important to us.”

On finding a role for TE Travis Beckum: “We are working on that though and we have to. His development is important to us too. Different rookies take different routes. He is a talented young guy that showed us, to be quite honest with you, a lot. Like special teams, he tried hard, was physical, was always on the kickoff return team. You are right, we got to get him in the offense and get him in there with consistency.”

On if the plan is the same for WR Ramses Barden: “Same thing. Yup. They are both very talented guys. Hopefully this aspect of having one year under the belt will make a difference for those guys.”

On Barden’s poor play on special teams: “Well he started off (playing well) early and that kind of went the other way for a while on special teams and toward the end of the year, he really did understand it again. He is a very sharp kid and I think he understands the physical aspect of the game and of what we expect out of him, because let’s face it, he is going to be the biggest receiver and we are going to expect him to do a lot of things. He’s got to help us in our run game.”

On whether defense will be the focus in the draft: “Certainly it is a concern, no doubt. We do have to solve some problems.”

On whether RB Ahmad Bradshaw will be ready for the start of offseason workouts after undergoing foot surgery: “We’ll see, we’ll see. I expect him to, we’ll see. He’ll fight it now. He is a tough guy. If it is going to be possible, he will do it. He wants it.”

On the snow and how it affected travel here: “I was to leave Thursday morning. We booked three different flights and finally got out Wednesday night. Thank God we did because nobody’s leaving. We have a second group of coaches (the entire defensive staff) who are having a lot of trouble getting here.”

On what happens if the defensive coaches don’t make it here: “They better get on the tape machine and look at it all. … Whenever they fly they will be here. Even if they get here for one day. They were going to drive and I said, ‘Do not do that.’ You don’t know what they are going to run into getting out here. Do you see where the snow line is? They say Pittsburgh has more snow … they are about to set a record over there. There is no quick route.”

On whether the new stadium can give an emotional lift to the team: “There’s no question. Everybody is excited about this. It is such a wonderful place and huge investment. We will go over there this spring and have a workout there this spring so we can have our players in there.”